BACK TO MY ROOTS

I have been getting a lot of notes about my posture so I decided to go take an open modern class at the Atlanta Ballet. It’s been years since I have taken class there; I took ballet for 10 years and performed in the Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker twice as an Angel.

This time I went to one of the newer studios on Roswell. I met the Instructor of the class, Lloyd Whitmore and was ecstatic to learn he would be teaching Horton technique- as a matter of fact I was so excited I leaped right there in the lobby.  I have always wanted to learn Horton with its beautiful clean lines and structure, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre is probably the Dance Company that has inspired me the most and they are heavily influenced by Horton Technique. Their works Revelations, Cry, and Blues Suite are my favorite dance performances of all time. 

When class began even though there was an obvious attention focus on form there was a refreshing lightheartedness that I had never experienced in modern class before. I was encouraged to feel and be spontaneous. Even though I had never seen most of the movements before I was relaxed and not intimidated, which was unusual for me.  Parts of the class were challenging, but it felt as if Horton has always been part of my psyche, I felt like a fish in a crystal clear stream. After an intense workout I was honored to learn part of the choreography from one Lloyd Whitmore’s works. I felt like I completely absorbed the message of the work even if my technique wasn’t perfected yet. The choreography had a transformative power that helped release an inner confidence, I felt exhilarated at the end of class and felt like I achieved my objective – it was everything I had envisioned and so much more. I am not only standing taller, I have been enriched with a deeper knowledge of dance.  

By: Kamaria George (02/22/2016)